


Yo no sé mañana

by papurosaurusrexx



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: F/F, University AU, roommates au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2015-06-15
Packaged: 2018-04-02 18:49:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4070719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/papurosaurusrexx/pseuds/papurosaurusrexx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"No inventes." Her mother's infamous scold rang through her mind as she wondered how exactly she should approach her new roommate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Intro: Aquellos ojos verdes

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like this fic idea was mostly inspired by the fact that one of my favorite things about Camila and Lauren is that they're Cuban Americans and I don't see these parts of them usually represented by the fans (be it for various reasons, though I don't think it's intentional).
> 
> So yeah. I also want to explore a sort of bilingual dialogue when they're talking between, but Spanish is my native language and I hate when writers go like "'Gracias.' She was thankful." So, you're not going to lose any content when I code-switch into Spanish because I'll repeat the content in one way or another... but if you all feel like it's too much, just tell me in case I need to tone it down a bit. 
> 
> Okay, I'll shut up now.

A lone knock interrupted the rapid piano's melody. Lauren sighed, removing one of her earphones. Another knock followed.

"Yeah?"

The door opened slightly, just enough for her to see her older roommate peeking into her room. With her golden hair in an a messy bun and those stained sweatpants, she wasn't sure how she looked that good while studying for hours at a time.

Hopefully next semester she wouldn't be feeling bad, comparing herself to Lillie at every opportunity.

Her roommate closed her eyes for a bit, opening slightly before speaking.

"There's another girl coming to see the apartment and my room tomorrow, says Hillenbrandt. I'm going to be here and all, but since you're the one who's staying next year, she was wondering whether you'd be here or not," said Lillie.

Lauren removed the other earbud, turning in her chair to see her better. "When, though?"

"At one."

She clicked her tongue. "I have this final at that hour. Not gonna be able to make it."

Her roommate nodded, "Right, nothing can be done about that. I'll tell her then."

She nodded, closing the door behind her.

Lauren sighed, returning to her music and her studies. Lively piano music was the only thing keeping her going through her finals, especially those CDs her parents have given her of their favorite pianist.

And it was only her first final.

"Estoy tan jodía."

* * *

 

"Sí, dile a mami que ya vi el apartamento y que me gustó. Es lo suficiente grande pa' dos personas, entra bastante luz por las ventanas. La chica que estaría conmigo no estaba, estaba en examen, pero la otra dijo que es bastante cool y calmada. Dame un segundo, papi."

Camila stood up, taking her bookbag and slinging it over her shoulder. When the bus stopped, she hopped off and continued the retelling of her entire day to her dad.

"Y está muy cerca de una parada de bus, así que está bueno pa'l invierno," she added, returning her cellphone to its place. "Creo que con este me quedo, en verdad. Me gustó mucho."

Indeed, she'd actually liked the apartment. It was nice and full of light and the room that'd be hers wasn't too small. Everything was like that, 'well, it's not too small.' Which was good, when you're trying to find an apartment in a city as big as Chicago.

But those were her requirements, which she thought were pretty logical seeing how she had much experience in moving around: not too small, not too dark, not too far away from public transportation (if there is one available, that is). And, now being in college, not a too-horrible roommate.

Unfortunately, she hadn't gotten the chance to see who would've been her roommate. She didn't want a bad one, not again.

She opened the door to her dorm building, sighing at her father's words, asking her if she needed help moving. Not that she didn't appreciate it, but she'd moved enough through her life to know how to pack and move things.

"Papi, vamos, pero no hagas planes sin mí. Creo que me he mudado lo suficiente en mi vida general y universitaria para saber cómo hacerlo. Creo que lo puedo hacer yo misma," she said. "Y que un boleto a esta hora tiene que estar carísimo y bastante cara que ya es esta universidad."

Camila held back a sigh as she opened the door for her room. No roommate at the moment.

Gracias a Dios.

She loved her parents and appreciated all they'd done for her throughout the lives, she really did. But they had this knack for turning her comments into sermons sometimes.

All she'd said was that a plane ticket would be expensive at this hour, and since they were already paying for most of her tuition… She hadn't meant it as if her education was a burden, Virgen santa.

"Papi, sé que la educación no es un gasto. Lo sé, relax," she said. "Solo... No te preocupes por mi mudanza, que son un par de cajas na' más. O sea, muchas gracias por querer ayudarme, pero creo que yo misma puedo, ¿okay?"

Her father agreed with her. Camila heard her little sister in the distance, wondered whether this was a factor or not. She smiled.

"Bueno, te dejo porque tengo que estudiar, ¿okay? Te quiero."

She hung up the phone following his reply, simply staring at the ceiling from her bed, mentally prepping herself for another study session. She groaned, forcing herself off the bed. She knew she would focus better in the library.

She forced herself to pack everything she needed into her library bag, from her note-taking pens and her books.

Two days until her first test, she thought as a slight panic arose from within her.

She didn't want to study, she told herself as she left her building and walked through the courtyards. She wanted to be in Miami with her parents and her little sister. Preferably at the beach, but she wasn't going to be picky in this moment. But no. She had to study in order to become someone, to make even the slightest change in people's lives.

She sighed.

It was going to be a long day ahead of her, she simply needed to be calm and keep her anxiety off guard, even just a bit.

Dios me proteja.

* * *

 

Camila hated airports. Airplanes, not so much, but airports were up there in her list of places she hated, right between to hospitals and courts.

But if all of her flights were shared with such green-eyed beauties like the one sitting in front of her, looking into her phone, she might not mind airports so much. Well, she didn't know if the girl was in her flight, but the other flights around them had already left and she remained.

Dios mío, she was so pretty.

So pretty that she was intimidating. Maybe it had to do with her eyebrows? They were so on point, Dios la bendiga.

The girl slid down her seat, sitting more comfortably. Camila noticed her socks, their colors. They went to the same university.

Ay, Dios, she'd only wanted to tell her how pretty she was but now she'd noticed her socks and surely she would accidentally let it slip and the girl would think that she was a creep and would never even look at her again-

The girl looked up. Camila scurried to check her phone, never mind that she'd accidentally tapped the clock app open.

She felt her eyes upon her.

"Hey," said the girl, barely a few seconds later.

Camila looked back, pretending she was confused with who she was talking to. She looked at the girl just in time to see her rolling her eyes.

"Do you by any chance know when the freshmen orientation starts on August? I'm having this argument with a friend." She smirked at Camila's confused expression. "The college's name is right by your sweatpants. I go there too. Unless those pants are not yours, in which case I'm sorry and should stop jumping to conclusions-"

"I- I think it's the 20th, no?"

"Thought so too, thanks," she said, typing into her phone. Camila nodded, trying to look away. She smiled, looking up again with a raised eyebrow. "It you're going to keep staring at me, you might as well tell me your name."

"Camila."

"Nice. Cuban parents?"

"I- what?"

"You pronounced it the Spanish way and I think you're also going to Miami. It's a good guess, I think," she shrugged.

Camila smiled, leaning against the armrest beside her. "Yeah, my mom."

"Same," she said, later scrunching up her nose. "Well, except the Spanish name. I'm Lauren."

"I- Well, I'm sorry for staring at you, Lauren," smiled Camila.

Lauren shrugged, smiling. "Nah, better you than some weird ass guy, am I right?"

Camila chuckled, nodding. Maybe if she checked her instagram, it would all be less awkward for her.

Gosh, she'd never got caught staring at women. Of course, she usually was a bit more subtle, but gosh.

Trágame tierra.

The first announcement for their flight rang around the terminal. Lauren stood up.

"Going to see if I can buy a coffee or something before we board," she muttered, taking her things with her. She raised her eyebrows.

Camila nodded, returning her sight to her phone. Lauren left, moving away from her area.

She sighed.

She wasn't sure on whether she'd imagined the flirty tone or the invitational raise of eyebrows, but she was certain she didn't imagine that wink Lauren gave her as she passed down the aisle in the airplane.

Ay, Virgen santa, flirting with a stranger she would probably never see again?

What a night.


	2. Hoy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literature class was cancelled today so I might as well just publish this. Also, I don't own Parks and Recreation, though I wish, lbr.

Lauren liked her nightly flights. She gathered they were the closest thing to teleportation. She sat down, she closed her eyes. When she woke up, she would be arriving her destination.

She only had to avoid falling asleep in the taxi to her apartment. She could sleep once she'd arrived, she told herself.

Despite it being only a few minutes long, she felt every second of it drag indefinitely.

Maybe this was what they meant by time relativity.

Once in her apartment, she retrieved her bedding from her suitcase and started her work. A shower later, she gave in and slept.

She woke up to the smell of lunch. 

Lauren sighed, checking her phone as she habitually did until she realized what was off with the picture. Her new roommate must've already arrived.

Or a hungry bugrlar, who knew, but let's be real.

She took her hands to her hair, trying for it to at least be acceptable. She wasn't wearing anything embarrassing, so she was good. She wasn't wearing any bra, but then again her roommate would eventually see her in a similar or worse state, so what did it matter. This way, the poor girl would be seeing with who she'd live for a year.

She left her room, lightly closing the door behind her. She narrowed her eyes, wondering why in the hell the living space was so bright.

Ugh, right, new roommate.

Qué jodienda.

She stared at the girl for a bit, with her long, brown hair and willowy figure. Her back was towards her, undoubtly doing a grilled cheese.

She'd seen her before, she was sure of it. She tried to place where she'd seen her before and what she was doing in her apartment, when the memories returned to her.

"No inventes."

Her mother's infamous scold rang through her mind as she wondered how exactly she should approach her new roommate.

Right, she shouldn't start even thinking ahead of this situation. Just, like, approach it head on.

Approach things head on. Act as if you don't know what you're doing.

That's basically how she dealt with things in her life, she thought with a smile.

"I gather you're my new roommate" she said.

She had to admit that she found it pleasing, seeing her new roommate jump and gasp for breath at the fright she'd given her. She tried not to laugh, though. She didn't know how this girl worked yet.

"You..." 

The girl chuckled, covering her face with her hands.

What was her name again? Carla? Camille?

Something like that.

"Let's not do that again, at least today?" she said, running her hands through her hair. She went up and gave her a quick hug. "But, yeah, new roommate. Camila. I-um, I was making grilled cheese. Do you want one?"

"Do they have drugs-"

"What? No! I'm just being-"

"Or anything else that makes me fall under your spell?"

Camila's shocked expression softened into a smile mirroring her own.

"Ah, you're joking. You're a joker," she said, returning to the small kitchen area and removing the sandwich from the heat. She started preparing another. "It's alright, I'm a joker too. But anyway, when did you get here? I came in yesterday morning and I'm pretty sure you weren't here."

Lauren relaxed a little, moving away from her door. She pulled a chair from their small dining table and moved it towards the small bar worktop. She sat down.

"A few hours ago, at four, more or less."

"Oh, well, didn't hear you come in, then," she shrugged. "I'm a heavy sleeper..."

She raised her eyebrows towards her.

"Lauren, my name's Lauren."

Camila nodded, sliding the paper plate with her grilled cheese in it.

"You can take this one, but only because I like mine scorching hot and that must already be getting cold," she said, shrugging and passing the sandwich on a paper plate.

Lauren examined it, slowly removing the edges. Her roommate raised her eyebrows but said nothing as she placed the cheese sandwich in the pan.

"So you're the girl from the airport, aren't you? Camila from Miami, with a Cuban mother," said Lauren, after verifying that she'd done a good job with the sandwich. Camila nodded. "Seems to be a morning person, seeing how you're so cheery at this hour. Since we're now living together, it seems, what else should I know about you?

"You seem to know more about me than I know about you."

"Yeah, well, I lived here before you, so I get dibs. I also have this mysterious aura about me," she said. Camila raised her eyebrows. "Many people know about me, but few know me, you get?"

"If that's what you want to think, mi amor," smirked Camila. "Also. 'At this hour?' It's one in the afternoon, which I think says quite a lot about you."

"I got here late last night! Not fair." 

She tried to ignore the fact that Camila seemed to be one of those who added mi amor at the end of sentences when speaking to people they'd just met.

"Whatever," she said, turning away from the stove and towards Lauren. She leaned forward, against the worktop and opposite of Lauren. "Well, I don't smoke or anything. No drugs. I drink but I never get drunk... Well, maybe, like, tipsy, but not drunk. I do tend to make a mess out of things and never clean them up until days later, that I'll admit. I'll try to keep the general living area acceptable, though. I don't know what else."

"Studying..."

"Oh, right, of course," she smiled. "Right. Third year social work. You?"

"Fourth year psychology."

"Oh, so you're graduating this year?" she said, biting her bottom lip.

Lauren decided not to think much about it.

"Nah." She shrugged. "I transferred to psychology on my second year. Next year, if it all works out, I'll graduate."

Camila nodded.

"You're not allergic to cacti aren't you?" she asked, changing the topic in a manner that seemed to reflect the whirring inside her brain. "One of my last roommates was, but maybe she was just lying to me because, well... I don't tend to talk badly of people, but she was a straight up cabrona to me. And I only had one back then but now I have two, so if you're allergic now's the time."

Lauren laughed.

"Well, not that I know of? And I'd like to think I'm not a straight up cabrona, so you can place them in the living area if you want," shrugged Lauren. "It'll bring some color to this boring, old place."

Camila smiled, rapidly leaving the kitchen area for her room. She left it not seconds later with two small cacti in her hands.

"Right, so this is Samara," she said, holding up the largest of the two.

"Really? Samara?"

Camila blushed. "They have names, yeah."

"No, it's just that it looks more like a Cristina to me," smiled Lauren.

She looked at the cactus. "No, she says that she's pretty sure she's a Samara."

Lauren raised her eyebrows.

"Camila?"

"Aha?"

"Your grilled cheese is burning."

"Ah," she said, running to remove the sandwich from the heat. "Darn."

Lauren looked at her, wondering how the hell she was so animated and bubbly. It had to be an act.

"So, ¿cómo se llama el otro?" asked Lauren.

"¿El cactus? The other one's Daniela. They're married," she added casually, as if it were today's weather.

Lauren nodded, deciding not to comment on that.

"How you liking your grilled cheese?" asked Camila.

She shrugged. "Not the best I've ever eaten, but it's good."

"I would like to say I'm offended, but taking in consideration that I found the bread in the freezer-"

Lauren coughed, looking at the small remaining piece in her plate. "You what?"

Camila threw her hands in the air, feigning innocence. "It was frozen, so it lasts a lot longer than in the fridge and it looked alright, so..."

"It's probably been there since _May_ ," she said.

"It looked _alright_ , no mold or anything," she repeated, shrugging taking a bite of her sandwich. "Tastes alright, too."

Lauren sighed.

Excelente, she thought.

"Well, if anything happens to us, we know what it is."

Lauren checked her phone, texting a reply to her sister before standing up.

"Okay, so it's my turn. No smoking or drugs, and since you added it then I'll admit I do get drunk from time to time. Now, ground rules," she said, moving over to the kitchen area in order to point everything out while she talked. "Logically, I eat my things and you eat yours. You don't want to cross me on this one."

"Understandable," nodded Camila.

"My cabinets, yours. My side of the sink, yours," she said, pointing at it. "You should know how to work out a microwave. Hillenbrandt should visit in a few days with her calendar, you'll have to sign when you're going to clean the kitchen and when the living area. We switch up, unless you'd rather not. That, and what else... Just keep your shit clean, really. Landlord's exact orders. It's not that complicated."

Camila nodded, biting her lip once again.

It seemed to be one of her mannerisms, thought Lauren with a grimace.

"Any questions?"

Her roommate shook her head.

Lauren nodded, looking at her room. "Well, I'm going to go and get settled down, so I'll just leave you alone."

Lauren sighed as she closed the door behind her.

She needed music.

And music she got, trying to drown her thoughts with guitar riffs and jumbled lyrics in whatever language was next.

She left the room hours later, showered and finished with her room. She placed her keys in her bag, making sure she had everything. She looked up to see Camila eyeing her from the sofa, looking right back at her.

She waved goodbye before leaving the apartment, desperate for some fresh air and alone time.

"Are you mad at me for feeding you frozen bread?" asked Camila, in a smaller voice than she'd heard from her.

Lauren sighed, taking a hand to her hair.

"No, of course not. I'm just going out to buy some things."

"Oh," said Camila, returning her attention to her laptop screen. "Okay. And, by the way, you have amazing music taste."

"Thanks, I know," said Lauren, once again waving.

She closed the door behind her, before Camila could say anything else.

Camila sighed, returning her attention to her laptop screen. Nothing interesting, only scrolling through tumblr, but perhaps she should put on some music now that Lauren had left.

She hoped Lauren didn't hate her already, though it was weird how she'd just left like that. All her previous roommates had been like that.

Ay, Dios, she just didn't want another horrible roommate. Was that too much to ask for?

She needed something to do or she would descend to her puddle of self-pity.

A quick check showed her that none of her friends was already in city. And, well, she did need to buy some new clothes for her practice, but... Going out...

Netflix it was, entonces.

She was half-way through her second episode when he heard a door knock. She paused it, wondering whether someone was actually knocking her door or if it was just the television.

Someone was definitively knocking on her door.

Camila sighed, standing up. She was pretty sure she'd seen Lauren take her keys with her.

She opened her door to see a tall, tanned girl in front of her checking her nails. She gave her a quick look, the type whose subtlety she'd mastered from years of practice. Or, at least, that's what she would like to think. God knew she could be the least subtle person ever.

The girl raised her eyebrows at the sight of her, checking the apartment number.

"Is Lauren here?" she asked.

"She's out."

"Ah, well, you see, she told me I could come over whenever I got around, so can I come in? You're her new roommate, aren't you?"

"Camila Cabello," she said, holding out her hand. "And I'd love to let you in, but stranger danger and all that."

"Let me show you her text, then. I'm not a law student but I know my evidence," she said, smiling as she checked her phone. "But, yeah, I'm Dinah. I live next door. I'm actually right across your room's wall, too. So you'll hear my music from today till forever because I ain't turning it off."

Indeed, she showed her a text message from Lauren saying she could go into her room and look for whatever it was they were talking about.

"So I guess we're not strangers anymore, at least," said Camila, stepping back so Dinah could pass.

She'd gone straight to Lauren's room, so she guessed she was used to making herself at home in this apartment.

Camila shrugged, sitting back on the sofa. She was going to put her earphones on when Dinah spoke up.

"Just so you know that I'm not, like, stealing anything. Which, I'm not," said Dinah from inside the room. "So, Lauren has this beautiful turquoise nail polish that she barely uses, yeah? But she won't give it to me in to 'preserve the peace between me and Mani,' because we both love it. And I've literally been lusting for it all summer and I haven't found a shade like it so I had to come and paint my nails as soon as I got here. It's an emergency, but not really, you get?"

Camila smiled, "Yeah, I get it."

"So I've been moaning all summer to Lauren on how I miss her and her small, yet amazing nail polish collection, so she told me today to just come whenever I got around here," she continued, setting the bottle of said nail polish in their coffee table.

She looked at Dinah as she opened the glass door and turned on the standing fan.

She was definitively used to making herself at home in this apartment.

"Oh my God, you're watching Parks? I love that show, such a classic," she said, sitting beside  Camila and shaking the bottle.

"Do you want to watch it?" asked Camila. "I'll just place it in the table and..."

"Oh, sure! Why not, right?"

Camila placed the laptop on the table and increased the volume.

"Aw, you're watching the earlier seasons. Are April and Andy already together?" asked Dinah, opening the bottle on the table.

"What?"

"Are they already- Oh, shit," said Dinah, watching the girl's reaction. "I didn't mean to-"

"They get together later on?!"

"Oh, shit, I'm so sorry. I thought you'd-"

Camila blocked out the babbling apologies and looked at her hands. The nail polish bottle wasn't in her hands and her fingernails were not painted yet.

No danger, then.

She took one of the cushions behind her and threw it at Dinah's face with all the force she could muster.

The taller girl laughed, fixing her hair.

"Right, guess I deserved that, so I won't counterattack right now," she chuckled. "I'll get back at you... Camila, was it? Well, I'll get back at you when you least expect it."

Camila nodded, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Don't start a war you can't end, that's all I'm saying," said Camila, holding up her arms as a sign of her innocence. "I might've physically attacked first but I was just reacting to your emotional assault."

"I know how to end my wars, don't worry," shrugged Dinah, starting to paint her nails. "Now play Parks before I spoil you even more. Accidentally, of course."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Girl, you obviously don't know me well. Now, what season is that?"

"Beginning of the third."

"Excellent."

Camila tried to focus on the episode, she did. But she couldn't help but wonder how much she seemed to change with the passing of the years. Two years ago she wouldn't have even considered watching Netflix with a girl she'd just met, all alone in a new apartment.

Things really did change overtime.

What was it that her mother always said whenever she was stressed out about something small?

"Paciencia, que Dios acobija."

No, that wasn't it. But it was something like that. She would have to ask her the next time she called her.

Halfway through the next episode, Dinah announced that she would do Camila's nails whether she wanted or not. After hauling Dinah's entire collection over, they managed to settle down for a nice pastel purple.

Camila knew she would have that color for weeks, slowly chipping until it all went away, but if she was going to start a friendship thanks to nails... So be it.

Dried nails and many laughs later, Lauren returned to their apartment. She looked at them, setting her bags in the worktop.

Camila couldn't help but notice that her frown. There seemed to be something odd about her general appearance, but she didn't know her well enough to know what it was.

She shrugged, watching instead as Dinah jumped up and hugged her friend.

"Lauren, oh my God, that tropical sun has done you so well," she said. "You look so beautiful, but maybe I've just missed you too much."

"I'm pretty sure that you missed my nail polishes more," smirked Lauren, quickly grabbing it from Dinah's pile. "Mixing it up with yours, don't think that I don't know your tricks."

"Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that, I just-"

"Hey, don't you have a date with that lacrosse guy you'd told me about?"

"Oh, shit," said Dinah, quickly picking up her bag of nail polishes. "I gotta rush or I'll be late. Though, let's be real, I'll be late either way. Help me get ready, Lauren?"

"Nah, girl, I've already got plans tonight."

"Aw, you say that as if I'm not going to hound you for deets tomorrow," said Dinah, placing a kiss on the shorter girl's forehead. She waved back at Camila. "Anyway, don't have too much fun, Lauren. Nice meeting you, Camz."

"Did you two already know each other?" asked Lauren, pointing at the closing door behind Dinah.

Camila shook her head.

"Just met her when she came over. Thought it would be something out of a stranger-danger tale, but she's actually quite friendly."

Lauren nodded, frowning. She went into her room with a few of her bags only to leave it moments afterwards.

She started to place her groceries into the fridge and her cupboards.

Camila closed her laptop.

"Do you need help?" she asked, jumping up towards the kitchen area.

Lauren closed the refrigerator's door, turning towards her roommate.

"Let's make one thing clear, Camila. Just because I'm your roommate, doesn't mean that I'm going to be your new best friend. So stop following me around like a lost puppy and get a life, alright?"

Camila blinked, taking a step back.

Lauren sighed, a hand in her hair.

Mierda, it was unfair to take out her bad mood on her annoying roommate.

"Fuck, I-"

"No, it's totally understandable. I get it," said Camila, raising her arms in faux-defense. "Which apartment is Dinah's again? The one by my side?"

She already knew the answer, remembering the taller girl's warning about loud music.

She didn't wait to hear her roommate's confirmation. She grabbed her cellphone and keys, slipping by the door and out into the hall.

When she returned to her apartment, the lights were out and her roommate was out once again.

At least this one didn't hate her or wasn't throwing a party. Gotta look on the bright side, yeah?


End file.
